


Paint You Wings

by HiyaGandalf



Category: All Time Low, jalex - Fandom
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M, Male Slash, Romance, change of POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:03:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1483852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiyaGandalf/pseuds/HiyaGandalf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex Gaskarth has just come back home to Baltimore for the holidays. </p>
<p>  He's sure his parents hate him, and he's also certain that he wants to go back to New York as soon as he can. That all changes when he is reunited with his old best friend, Jack Barakat. </p>
<p>Rating: Teens going on Mature <br/>Status: Not complete <br/>Warning: some swearing and maybe some smut</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paint You Wings

_Beep, Beep, Beep_

 

 

   Today's the day I'm supposed to go back to Baltimore. My brother, Tom, and I moved out to New York City about three years ago, and I haven't been back to Baltimore to visit my parents since. Tom has; he has never really bothered by the family problems that brought me to New York City in the first place. Well, it wasn't like I hated my parents for my horrible home life. My parents had problems, just like everyone else; they would have fights, most of which would leave my mom crying into my brothers arms, and all I could do was sit there, completely useless. I couldn't take it anymore... I had to leave, and my only option was to move in with Tom when he left for Collage.

   The other thing that's got me so worked up about our trip back home, is Jack; My tall, shy, lanky friend. Jack and I had been best friends before I moved out of the family home, and we haven't really stayed in touch. I had been thirteen when I had left, and at that stage both of us weren't really into emailing and such, so we grew apart. The first few months in New York I had missed him a lot, I had no real friends there and my brother was always out, but eventually I got used to staying in and having to entertaining myself. It was pretty boring in New York without Jack... Obviously I would go out with Tom sometimes, maybe to watch a movie at the local cinema, or to go out and eat, but he had his own life to lead, and I don't blame him for leaving me at home most of the time... I stayed at home because I wanted to.

   As I lie in bed, completely unmoving, I hear a door slam downstairs and realize that Tom must be back from his all night shift at the local 'All Night' fast food place. I hear a few muted footsteps coming from the hall, when suddenly my bedroom door is yanked open.

   ‘What the hell are you still doing in bed?’ My brother questions, his voice a venom like hiss.

   ‘I was just getting up. Calm down, Tom.’ I hiss back at him, almost unnerved by his unusual aggressive tone.

   He stands in my doorway staring at me angrily, and suddenly he turns around and stalks away, leaving me to actually make my way out of bed. I yank myself out from under my warm, cosy bed sheets, and I head for the bathroom, switching on the shower and undressed as I wait for the water to heat up. I close the large plastic door of the shower behind me as my head hits the water, hot relaxing heat cascading over my tired body.

   After I wash my hair and body in the shower, I wrap a large, fluffy towel around my hips and I head down the hall to the kitchen. Toast doesn't sound very appetising right now, so I just flick the little switch on the worn kettle Tom and I share and lean against the fridge.

   Soon after, the kettle begins to boil and I set about making Tom and I some coffee to wake us both up.

   ‘Hey, you seen my suitcase?!’ I hear Tom yell from his bedroom. He always packs right at the last minute and always leaves me to find whatever he can't seem to.

   ‘No, I don't think you forgetting to pack 'till now is my problem’ I yell back. For a 21 year old collage student studying law, he sure is stupid.

   After I have given Tom his coffee and I finish mine, I make my way into my room, now trying to make my hair look half decent. My dirty blonde hair always seems to be unwilling to stand up in any direction that I try to put it in, even when I apply extensive amounts of hairspray to it. Suddenly my towel drops down onto the floor, leaving me standing completely naked with a flatiron in my hand.

   I can hear Tom shuffling around in his room opposite mine, swear words and loud crash's coming out from his room, I'm guessing he put his favourite button up shirt in the wash a few days ago and it still isn't ready to be packed away. I'm lucky enough to not be so picky when it comes to clothing. So long as I have some skinny jeans and some form of hooded jumper, I’m good to go. I find myself picking up my favourite black skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt to go under the dark grey and bright, sunflower coloured checked flannel shirt I've picked out. Obviously I'll be taking my black hoodie with me. Even if it is pretty warm outside, I can't go anywhere without it.

   I'm now sat in our shared living room, waiting patiently -No screw that- I'm waiting not so patiently for my brother to hurry up! God, he's such a girl when it comes to packing. He literally packs his whole wardrobe and more. After I've watched some boring documentary on water life for about twenty minutes, my brother finally comes out of his bedroom with about eight duffle bags full of clothes and he makes his way over to the television.

   ‘Quit wasting time and move! Our cab is already out the front waiting for us!’ My brother says angrily, throwing one of his many bags towards me.

  ‘Hypocrite’, is all I mumble in reply.

   Once in the small black cab, I stick my headphones in my ear and switch on my music player, pressing shuffle on the small sliver piece of plastic that sat in my hand.

   My brother immediately starts talking to the cab driver, telling him all about how his student life is going, and about how he's so excited to be going home for the summer holidays. I notice that our cab driver, or "Bill" as he has told my brother, is looking like he wants to kill my brother then throw himself off a cliff. I'm guessing he has had a rough day so far.

   It's now a quarter to eight in the morning and the view out the window is amazing: A bright blue sky and not a single cloud up there, meaning no annoying rain. Everyone seems to be wearing sunglasses and flip-flops, meaning that in the middle of May, summer has finally made an appearance.

   We pull into a parking spot on the edge of the airport, and Tom all too excitedly hops out of the cab and pays the cab driver though the window. Whilst I, being the enthusiastic soul I am, slowly make my way out of the back seat probably looking half dead. All of sudden it hits me; I haven't seen two of the most important people in my life for about three years... And here I am, about to board a plane so I can see them both again. Butterflies erupted though my stomach at the mere thought... and what about Jack? He might still live in Baltimore. I may bump into him in the street and he won't recognise me.

   As we approach the airport doors, my stomach rumbles and I can feel a heavy acidic liquid crawling up my throat uncomfortably. My heart is beating loudly and heavily against my chest as I panic, and my feet seem to automatically rush off on their own accord towards the airport bathrooms. I can’t possibly throw up in front of so many people and face the embarrassment, so I push past an old couple quickly, almost causing the older man to loose his balance. I push the heavy doors of the men’s bathroom open and run to a cubical, locking myself in and throwing myself to the ground, and uncomfortable feeling itches at the back of my throat.

  My mouth now tastes like I’ve just thrown acid down my throat, and my stomach clenches tightly as I think about getting a drink to wash down the taste, so the chances of getting rid of the vile taste are looking very slim. I push my hand down to my side, rustling around in my backpack looking for my mints that I brought with me. My stomach makes a sudden leap and I quickly forget about the mints too...The thought of a reunion and a trip in an aircraft that could possible crash into a mountain or be hijacked has my head pounding with nerves. Maybe there is a way for me to back out from this holiday? Who would even notice if I don't turn up? My parents and Tom will be too engrossed in one another to give me any notice, our neighbours have probably forgotten the little weird kid who had presumably no hobbies or interests... and then there’s Jack. Will he remember me, and is he still living on our road? Tom had gone back to Baltimore a few months ago... He'll know if the Barakat’s are still living across the road. I mentally slap (because I was stupid enough not to think of it before) and I look across the room for Tom. He's standing with his back to me, buying a drink from a large, black vending machine. I call him over and he walks slowly towards me, a wicked grin on his face.

   ‘Feelin’ any better, Gaskarth?’ He asks, his smirk never leaving his face as he teases me.

   ‘Oi, you’re a Gaskarth too! You can’t call me that!’ I whine back, throwing him a death glare. ‘Anyway, do you now if the Barakats still live across the road from Mom and Dad?’ I ask, my voice an octave higher than usual.

   ‘Aw, is Alex all excited to see Jacky?’ Tom teases, grabbing one of my cheeks and pinching it, causing me to slap his hand away.

   That's the other reason I'm so worried about going back; everyone back in our school had thought I was gay with Jack when I still lived in Baltimore. We were only thirteen, so everyone thought we were only “confused” about our sexuality, but we weren’t at all, we were just best friends... That’s what best friends did, right? All our class mates would dare us both to kiss and stuff, and we’d hold hand for laughs, and it was funny! But now that we’re both older, I'm worried that everyone will think it’ll be the same... which it most definitely won’t. Even my own Father had given me "the talk" about it. He was worried that both of us still sleeping in a bed together when one of us slept over at the others was "weird" and "not normal". He had once tried to get me to sleep on the floor one night, but as soon as I heard my parent’s doors close, I jumped up on the bed and got under the warm covers next to Jack. I wasn't even surprised when I saw Jacks tears gleaming in the small light that passed though the curtains.

   I stare back at Tom and shake my head, my eyes never losing contact with his. ‘No! I was just wondering!’ I shout back, crossing arms over my chest and turning away.

   ‘Well, if you must know, jack’s still living with his mom, but he’s also living with his mate, Adam... or something like that.’ He says, throwing his arms up, almost like he was giving up trying to understand.

   Who was this Adam? Did I know him or had Jack got over me and made new friends? The thought of it alone has me wanting to scream. I haven’t gotten over him, or our friendship, so why should he be let of easily? Why should he have a new best friend whilst all I've got left is Tom? I was almost stupid enough to believe that he would be waiting for me, and we would just resume out friendship like nothing ever happened! Hopefully I can just get this damned trip over and done with.

   Oh God, I hope this plane just crashes and I die alone.


End file.
